1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to traps. More particularly, this invention relates to insect traps for catching and killing flying insects.
2. State of the Art
It has long been known that insects, and particularly flying insects, can be harmful to people since they carry various pathogenic germs and viruses. In addition, flying insects can also be annoying pests which people often desire to eliminate from certain areas, especially around their home.
A number of insect traps are known for capturing and/or killing flying insects. For example, paper with an adhesive coating thereon (fly paper) can be suspended or laid flat on a surface so as to cause a flying insect to land on the paper and become caught in the adhesive coating. The paper is then discarded. Other traps use containment chambers with a passage-way into the chamber which insects can only traverse to enter the chamber but not to exit the chamber. Insects are lured into the chamber with a bait. While such traps can be effective, they have a drawback in that they are unsightly and detract from the living space of the home in or around which they are placed. In addition, these types of traps are often not intended to be discarded and must periodically be cleaned; i.e., the dead insects must manually be removed from the chamber of the trap. Moreover, the bait for containment-type traps often contain pesticides which, while able to kill flying insects, can be harmful to people and domestic animals.